There’s no Pad Thai at Sabai, the new Thai restaurant beside Uma Nota at Shangri-La The Fort. That’s by design.
“We spoke to our head chef and he insisted we don’t do Pad Thai,” said co-owner Michael Needham. “He said that Pad Thai is more of a Chinese-influenced dish that foreigners associate with Thailand, but you won’t find it in a lot of the local regions.”
That head chef is Puwadol Assavadathkamjorn, or Chef Tob, who hails from Southern Thailand and brings serious kitchen cred from Bangkok’s Le Normandie, Sühring, and Pru. He now leads a six-person Thai kitchen team—everyone flown in to bring the flavors of their homeland to BGC.
The food is all-in on regional Thai. No shortcuts, no watering down. Even the herbs—kaffir lime, galangal, holy basil—are grown locally from seeds the team brought in from Bangkok. “Even our ingredients had to be Thai,” he said.
And the flavors don’t hold back. The Pla Kung Pae, a starter of prawns with grilled chili paste and Thai herbs, is bright, spicy, and layered. The Kanom Krok na Hoi Shell, seared scallops on Thai coconut pudding, is delicate, briny, and indulgent.
The knockout dish is the Pad Prik Kluea, stir-fried beef with garlic, chili, and salt. “It’s my favorite dish,” said Needham. “It’s not something you’ll find in other Thai restaurants here.” It’s not flashy—but it’s deeply satisfying. I’d agree: it’s a sleeper hit.
Other mains worth noting include the Nhaem Sam Chun Tod, crispy fermented pork with a sharp sour punch, and the Kang Panang Nuea Nong Lai, a beef silver shank slow-cooked in creamy, nutty panang curry.
Finish strong with the Mango Sticky, featuring mango sorbet, sticky rice, and coconut sauce. On the drinks side, the Sabai Blue Bliss is floral and subtly boozy—vodka, lychee, butterfly pea syrup, and umeshu, layered into a quietly potent highball.
The space itself blends modern polish with Thai accents—patterned ceilings, radial textures, and warm lighting. Three private rooms are named Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai—with the two larger ones fitted with karaoke setups. “We thought, what brings Thai and Filipino cultures together? Karaoke,” Needham said with a laugh.
Sabai is open for full-day hours (11am to 12mn). The vibe is casual but elevated, the flavors are unfiltered, and the message is clear: this is Thai food, just as it should be.
